


we're on the payroll

by boyknees



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, office au bc that cbx mv
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 22:52:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14435862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boyknees/pseuds/boyknees
Summary: where jongdae just needs to ask out the cute assistant and chanyeol needs to apologize to the new boss or leave him alone.(alternatively: "what did you do, chanyeol?")





	we're on the payroll

**Author's Note:**

  * For [captivatesme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/captivatesme/gifts).



Jongdae needs a better job. Or at least needs a job at a better office. He has to try really hard not to yell as the photocopier jams for the sixth time that day. 

“Jongdae, oh my god, there you are.” Chanyeol runs into the room and shuts the door behind him, as if that gives them any kind of privacy. “You remember that guy I slept with two weeks ago?” 

Jongdae rolls his eyes. “No,” he says, because that would require paying attention any time Chanyeol started a story with “So last night I met this guy.” And he doesn’t.

“You know, the guy I slept with and then ghosted?” 

Jongdae loves Chanyeol because best friend rules dictates that he should, but sometimes his best friend is a terrible human. “No,” he says again, because “and then I blocked their number” is the end of most of Chanyeol’s stories. 

“He’s our new boss.” 

Jongdae’s head whips up. “What?” 

Chanyeol covers his face with his hands. “I’m going to be fired.” 

Honestly, Jongdae thinks this is kind of hilarious. “Maybe he won’t remember you,” he offers, finally giving up on the photocopier. Maybe the new boss will be a little looser with the budget strings and buy them one that actually works. 

There’s a knock on the door and Baekhyun peeks his head in. “New boss is here, losers. On the floor.” 

Chanyeol whimpers and Jongdae just snickers when Baekhyun gives him a questioning look. “Wait till you hear,” he says, gently nudging Chanyeol out. 

There are two new men at the front talking to their supervisor. Jongdae narrows his eyes at the taller one. He's stupidly handsome. Like, almost as if he has no right to look that handsome. He isn’t really dressed like an office manager, but his eyes are glued to his phone and he’s openly ignoring Junmyeon so Jongdae can’t imagine that he’s a subordinate. 

“You have good taste,” is all Jongdae says. 

Chanyeol frowns. “Who are you looking at? Are you looking at...I didn’t sleep with the skyscraper!” 

Jongdae stares at Chanyeol pointedly. The audacity to call someone else a skyscraper when _Chanyeol_ is as tall as the Namsan Tower. Jongdae’s eyes shift over to the shorter man, who’s listening to Junmyeon in rapt attention. Yeah. Definitely Chanyeol’s type. “Still good taste.” 

“I know,” Chanyeol says, sighing. “He was nice. Why did I ghost him?” 

Baekhyun smacks him on the arm. “Did you sleep with the new boss?” His face is filled with glee. 

Before Chanyeol can answer, Junmyeon clears his throat loudly and calls for their attention. The office quiets down. He introduces them all to the new boss, Kim Minseok, and pauses when he turns to Very Tall and Very Handsome, who is still ignoring everyone. 

“Oh, this is my assistant, Sehun,” Minseok says, and Sehun just grunts out in reply without looking up from his phone.

 _Sehun,_ Jongdae repeats to himself silently. 

“Err, yes,” Junmyeon says, casting Sehun a suspicious look, before he turns back towards the rest of them. “Minseok comes with a lot of experience. He’ll be an asset to our company and I’m sure you will all be welcoming.” He gestures at Minseok to say a few words. 

Minseok seems like a nice person. Jongdae has no doubt that Chanyeol has been a trash person to him. He asks them all to be patient with him as he learns their names. 

“It won’t take me long,” Minseok promises, offering them a smile. “I’m very good with names and faces.” And then his eyes land very firmly behind Jongdae. Where Chanyeol is standing. 

“You are so fired,” Baekhyun whispers. 

 

 

Chanyeol brings in a cactus to work the next day. 

“What are you doing?” Jongdae asks in exasperation when Chanyeol gently sets the plant down on his desk. “I don’t want a plant.” 

Baekhyun pokes his head up from his cubicle and rolls his chair over. “How come Jongdae gets a plant? I want a plant.” 

“It’s not for him,” Chanyeol says. His eyes keep shifting to the new boss’ closed office door. “It’s for Minseok.” 

“You’re trying to kiss up to him with a cactus?”

Chanyeol bristles. “It’s a succulent.” 

Baekhyun sneers at him. “Whatever, nerd. It’s not going to make him forget that you dicked him down and then ditched him.” 

Jongdae snorts because Minseok definitely remembers Chanyeol. He had gone around the office introducing himself, and when he got to Chanyeol’s cubicle, he had just nodded and said, “Chanyeol, yes, I remember,” and moved on without the handshake and pleasant smile he’d offered everyone else. 

“It’s a peace offering and a welcome gift,” Chanyeol says. “Plants are a good welcome gift, right? And succulents don’t have to be watered as often as regular plants, so it’s not a chore.” 

_“Nerd,”_ Baekhyun and Jongdae say in unison. 

“So what are you waiting for?” Jongdae asks. “Go give it to him.”

Chanyeol casts another desperate look at the closed office door. “Someone come with me.” 

“No,” Jongdae says, laughing. “We are not the ones who ghosted him.”

“Yeah, I don’t even think I want him to know we’re friends,” Baekhyun says. “He does not like you.” 

Chanyeol pushes his chair and sends him rolling back to his own cubicle. “Jongdae, please? We’ll say it’s from both of us.” 

“I don’t want to kiss up with a cactus,” Jongdae complains. “I want to have a non-existent relationship with him like I did with our other bosses. Junmyeon doesn’t even know my name. He calls both Baekhyun and me ‘ByunKim’ because he probably thinks we’re one person. I just want to be ByunKim to Minseok too!” 

“Oh my god, you have zero ambition,” Chanyeol mutters. 

“This is a lot of smack talk from someone who’s asking for my help.”

Chanyeol pouts at him. “Okay, just walk me over at least? Or I’m going to end up pacing here all day.” 

Jongdae doesn’t understand how Chanyeol gets anyone to sleep with him when he’s such a coward. “Fine.” He thrusts the plant at Chanyeol and they walk over to Minseok’s office, stopping short at Sehun’s desk near the door. 

Jongdae swears he hasn’t seen Sehun without his eyes on his phone. When he ignores them, Chanyeol takes another step towards Minseok’s office and Sehun finally looks up from his phone. 

“May I help you?” 

Chanyeol glances at the door and back at Sehun. “I have a welcome gift for Minseok.” 

Sehun eyes the plant. “Charming,” he says, his lip curling slightly. Jongdae is a little mesmerized. “But he’s busy. I’ll make sure he gets it.” 

Chanyeol looks like he wants to protest, but Sehun looks like he’s ready to argue too. “Umm, okay, tell him it’s from Chanyeol.” 

“Sure,” Sehun says, smirking. “He’ll be thrilled.” 

Chanyeol nods and slinks away. “He’s going to throw it away, isn’t he?” he whispers to Jongdae.

“Sehun? Or Minseok?” Jongdae feels like either possibility seems likely.

 

 

The plant is gone from Sehun’s desk the next day and Jongdae and Baekhyun have to physically stop Chanyeol from going through the garbage to see if it’s been thrown away. 

 

 

“You know, I’m still waiting for _my_ welcome gift.” 

Jongdae’s in the break room, struggling with the coffee maker because basically _nothing_ in this office works. He’s surprised to see Sehun in here because it’s been four days and he’s never come to the break room. 

“It’s rude to not give _all_ the new people a welcome gift.” Sehun’s leaning against the doorway and Jongdae is trying his best not to stare, but it’s really hard because this might be the first time he’s seen Sehun’s face without it being partially blocked by his phone. Still impossibly handsome.

“Chanyeol’s in charge of the gift-giving,” Jongdae says, forcing himself to look away. 

“He’s slacking. The plant wasn’t even that impressive.”

“Agreed. So no plant for you then?” Jongdae’s not really going to get Sehun a gift, he’s just...getting to know the new guy. Just being friendly. 

Sehun smiles and Jongdae thinks it’s the first time he’s seen him smile. “No, maybe something like a zen garden.” 

Jongdae snorts. “Because your job is so stressful.” He’s pretty sure Sehun only moves from his desk to get lunch or to leave for the day. He’s never actually seen him ‘assist’ Minseok in any way. 

Sehun’s smile widens. “It’s very hard to ignore people,” he says solemnly. 

“Noted,” Jongdae says and moves to leave so he can find Baekhyun and yell about how the cute assistant _smiled_ at him. 

“You forgot your coffee,” Sehun points out. 

Jongdae glares at the coffee maker. “It’s not working again.” He shrugs when Sehun gives him a questioning look. “It’s temperamental. I’ll just grab some coffee at lunch.” 

 

 

Jongdae is stuck on a call during lunch. He really needs a new job. He’s just done with his phone call when Sehun stops by holding a cup and a little paper bag.

“I didn’t know how you like your coffee,” Sehun says, placing the cup on his desk and pulling out sugar packets and tiny milk and creamer pods out of the bag. 

Jongdae blinks. “You didn’t have to…” He smiles when Sehun also pulls out sweetener and brown sugar packets and a pastry bag. 

“I figure no one hates croissants,” Sehun says, offering the pastry bag to him. 

“No one normal anyway,” Jongdae says, grinning. “Thanks. Really.” 

Sehun shrugs. “You were busy.” 

 

 

There’s a new coffee maker in the break room on Monday. 

 

 

“You know we also need a photocopy machine,” Jongdae tells Sehun on Tuesday morning. 

Sehun looks at him innocently. “I don’t know why you’re telling me that,” he says. “I have no say in what Minseok buys for the office.” He gestures at the cup in Jongdae’s hand. “Is that for me?” 

“Hot chocolate,” Jongdae says, handing it over along with a small box. “And mini macarons because I’ve seen you eat mini cupcakes and brownie bites. Apparently you like small things.” 

Sehun grins. “I really do.” 

 

 

Jongdae only gets in right before he falls asleep that night. 

 

 

“I can still win him over!” Chanyeol grabs Jongdae’s chair and rolls him over to Baekhyun’s cubicle, even though no one else is at the office yet. 

“Who?” Baekhyun rubs at his eyes sleepily. 

“Minseok! He has the succulent in his office.” Chanyeol looks triumphant. “By the window! Where it gets plenty of sun. He’s looking after it. He didn’t throw it away.” 

Jongdae narrows his eyes at him. “How do you know?” He frowns when Chanyeol hesitates. “What did you do, Chanyeol?” 

“I snuck into his office the other day at lunch.” 

“Chanyeol!” 

“I didn’t go all the way inside,” Chanyeol says. “I just stuck my head in to see if he has the succulent, and he does.” 

“Great, so you’re probably not going to get fired,” Baekhyun says. “Now go make us coffee.” 

Chanyeol beams at them and happily obliges.

“This isn’t over, is it?” Jongdae watches Chanyeol grabbing three cups in the break room.

“What do you think?” 

 

 

Sehun looks put out when he sees the coffee cup on Jongdae’s desk. “You already have coffee,” he says flatly. 

Jongdae is surprised that Sehun got him coffee again. “I had it forever ago,” he lies, reaching for the cup in Sehun’s hand. “Thanks.” 

Sehun looks like he knows he’s lying, but he doesn’t say anything. Just nods. 

“Hey,” Jongdae calls out as he’s about to leave. “Where’s my croissant?” 

Sehun just walks away and Jongdae figures he’s ignoring him, but he reappears a few moments later. “I got you a brownie this time,” he says, placing it on Jongdae’s desk. He smiles, that real smile that he had given Jongdae that day in the break room and Jongdae swears he’s not melting on the inside. 

He peeks into the bag when Sehun leaves, and it’s a mini brownie. Sehun had given him his brownie. Okay, maybe Jongdae is melting on the inside. 

 

 

A few weeks later, Chanyeol slinks into the break room, looking ashamed. “Help me.” 

“I’m so sick of both of you,” Baekhyun complains. “Jongdae, just ask the cute assistant out. Chanyeol, either man up and just apologize to Minseok or leave it alone. He’s a professional, he’s obviously not going to fire you.” 

“He just gets me coffee, that doesn’t mean he likes me,” Jongdae mumbles.

“He got you a coffee _maker_. He got you a coffee maker and he still buys you coffee. Come on, Jongdae, you’re smarter than this. Don’t be a Chanyeol.” 

“Hey.” Chanyeol looks wounded. 

“Apologize or shut up.” 

Chanyeol whimpers and drops his head into his arms. “I’ve already apologized,” he says. “A week ago.” 

Jongdae and Baekhyun exchange looks. “And?” Jongdae prods. 

“And nothing. He was fine. He was nice about it. He even thanked me for the plant.” 

“So what’s the problem?” Baekhyun asks. 

Chanyeol looks up and gives them a pitiful look. “I unblocked his number.” 

Baekhyun groans. “What did you do, Chanyeol?” 

“I got drunk last night.”

Jongdae sees where this is going. “No. Chanyeol, _no._ ” 

Chanyeol pouts. “I messaged him,” he whispers. 

“You’re going to have to get him a bigger plant,” Baekhyun says. 

 

 

Minseok doesn’t seem particularly annoyed when he comes into work that day. 

“Maybe he blocked _your_ number and didn’t get the message,” Jongdae tells Chanyeol over the phone. “Just pretend nothing happened. Your text couldn’t have been that bad. It’s not like you sent him a picture of your dick.” He pauses. “Right?” 

“I didn’t,” Chanyeol snaps and hangs up on him. 

 

 

The succulent appears on Sehun’s desk at the end of the day and Baekhyun and Jongdae take away Chanyeol’s phone before they take him out to get drunk. 

 

 

Jongdae’s getting another round at the bar when he sees Sehun. Who’s looking awfully cozy with some other guy. He’s smiling and the other guy has his hand on Sehun’s arm, and Sehun is _laughing_. 

“Hey, did you already order?” Baekhyun has Chanyeol draped around his back. “We should probably just pay and get out of here. Chanyeol’s getting weepy and that is not a good sign.” He frowns when he sees Jongdae’s face. “What’s wrong? What are you—oh.” 

“What?” Chanyeol lifts his head up and looks around. “Hey! It’s...oh.” He’s spent all night looking pretty pitiful but he looks even sadder now. 

“Let’s go,” Jongdae says, turning away. “I’ll pay and meet you guys outside.” 

“Love you,” Chanyeol calls out.

“Shut up, Yeol,” Baekhyun says, hauling him away. 

 

 

“Are you okay? You’ve been acting weird all week.” Sehun rests the coffee and the croissant down on Jongdae’s desk. He seems confused and Jongdae doesn’t know why. He hasn’t ignored him or anything, he just hasn’t talked to him much. 

“Just been a busy week,” Jongdae says dully. 

He doesn’t really have any right to be upset. And he’s not upset, not really. He’s only ever talked to Sehun over coffee and pastries. He _thought_ they were flirting, but clearly he was wrong. It’s not Sehun’s fault Jongdae had misread everything. 

Sehun raises an eyebrow. “Sure, busy.” He lingers for a bit and finally he rests a hand on Jongdae’s shoulder. “Talk later, okay?” 

When have they ever talked without one of them getting the other coffee or hot chocolate? “Sure,” Jongdae says anyway. He emails Minseok saying he doesn’t feel well and leaves before lunch.

 

 

Sehun seems agitated on Monday morning. “Are you feeling better? I tried to call you...I mean, I thought about it but I don’t have your number.” 

Jongdae tries not to be irritated. He’s not going to be the guy who acts like being friends isn’t enough. “I’m fine,” he says, offering Sehun a smile. “I just needed some rest.” 

Sehun looks like he wants to say something, but he just drops the coffee and pastry on Jongdae’s desk and walks back to his desk. 

Chanyeol practically floats into the office a few minutes later. Jongdae’s pretty sure he’s never seen Chanyeol smiling so wide in all the years that he’s known him. 

“Good morning, friends.” He drops a kiss on Baekhyun’s head and then one on top of Jongdae’s before he floats away to his cubicle. 

It doesn’t take long to figure out what happened when Minseok gets into work and plucks the succulent off Sehun’s desk and carries it into his office. 

Chanyeol can’t stop smiling the whole day. “We talked,” is all he tells Baekhyun and Jongdae.

 

 

Sehun gets into work earlier than usual on Wednesday. So early that it’s only him and Jongdae. He marches to Jongdae’s desk before he can even sit down, and before Sehun hands over the coffee, he slides the sleeve off and sets the cup down in front of Jongdae.

Jongdae frowns when he sees numbers scrawled on the cup. “Wha—”

“My number,” Sehun says. “Every cup of coffee I’ve ever given you has had my number on it. Except that very first one. Anyway, when you didn’t call, I figured you weren’t interested. But then I thought maybe you hadn’t seen it.” 

“You left me your number,” Jongdae says slowly, and he raises an eyebrow. “And hid it under the sleeve?”

“I wasn’t hiding it! The cup’s hot, i just thought you’d see it eventually.”

“Wow.” Jongdae laughs. “You’re lucky you’re cute, because that’s a supremely stupid way to give me your number.” 

“Well, I tried to discreetly ask for yours after you were sick but you—” Sehun stops short. “You think I’m cute?” 

Jongdae rolls his eyes. “You know you’re cute.” 

Sehun smiles and Jongdae has really missed that smile. “So you’ll call me?” he says softly. 

“Aren’t you dating someone?” Jongdae feels his face burning when he sees Sehun’s confused face. “I mean, not that you can’t date other people,” he hurries to add. “Not that _we’re_ dating, and even if we were, it’s not that I’d expect you to be exclusive or—”

“Jongdae.” Sehun rests a hand on his arm. “I’m not dating anyone. I would like to go out with you. And there’s no one else I want to go out with.” 

Jongdae is confused. Was Sehun dating someone before but he isn’t anymore? “But I saw you,” he mumbles, looking away because he knows he sounds petulant. “Two weeks ago.” 

“Where?” 

“At this bar, on Friday night. The one a block away from the office.” 

Sehun laughs. “Jongin? You saw me with Jongin? We’re not dating. He’s my best friend.” 

Jongdae pouts. “Looked pretty cozy,” he grumbles. 

Sehun’s hand trails down from Jongdae’s arm to his wrist and finally to his hand. “You don’t see me getting jealous over Chanyeol kissing you.” 

Jongdae snorts. “That’s just Chanyeol.” 

Sehun shrugs. “Yeah, and it was just Jongin.” He tugs on their joined hands and pulls Jongdae in closer. “So you’ll call me, right?” 

“I’ll call,” Jongdae promises. 

He sees Sehun’s eyes land on his mouth but he just smiles and squeezes Jongdae’s hand before letting go. 

Jongdae waits until Sehun’s back at his desk before he calls. 

Sehun looks up from his desk when his phone rings. “Is this your number?” 

“I’m going to be really mad if you let this go to voicemail.” 

“You’re so lame.” Sehun laughs but answers his phone. “Hey.” 

“Do you want to grab dinner with me tonight?” 

Sehun _giggles_ and Jongdae locks away that sound to replay over and over in his head. “Okay.” 

 

 

Jongdae kisses Sehun on Friday night. And Saturday night. And Sunday night. And on Monday, Sehun finds a zen garden on his desk. 

“You’re going to need it,” Jongdae says, handing over his hot chocolate.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> [x] happy birthday, ri! i hope you like this <333  
> [x] y'all are all obligated to listen to ka-ching now


End file.
